Consort Shu said ominously, "Aside from Noble Lady Yan, that Noble Lady Wei cannot be allowed to remain either."
"Apart from Noble Lady Yan, Noble Lady Wei is the most favored. The Empress's maternal family, the Duke Ling's household, has produced quite a few empresses. Didn't they send Noble Lady Wei into the palace so that she could replace the Empress someday?"
"She truly is the greatest threat to my taking the empress's throne now. It would be best if we could get rid of her."
Noble Lady Yu lowered her eyes demurely, her gaze filled with icy malice. "Rest assured, Your Highness. I shall do my utmost to ease your worries."
During the days Consort Shu was confined to her quarters, Wen Leyan finally fulfilled her wish of serving the emperor in bed. Wen Yunmian guessed that Consort Shu had secretly helped her rise, intending to use her as a counterweight against Wen Yunmian.
After serving the emperor, Wen Leyan positively glowed. Every so often, she came to the Peony Pavilion to flaunt her success, as though all the soaring fortunes Wen Yunmian had enjoyed after serving the emperor in her previous life would now fall into her lap.
Wen Yunmian merely smiled without speaking.
Wen Leyan grew even more smug. Before leaving the Peony Pavilion, she made sure to say, "Sister, I really ought to apologize to you. In the end, I've stolen your happy days."
Blame yourself for not being reborn. Even Heaven isn't on your side.
Rather than returning directly to the Rose Pavilion, Wen Leyan went to a pavilion to admire the plum blossoms.
It was the bitterest month of winter, yet she deliberately changed into thin clothing and waited there, enduring the cold.
Nanny Hong tried to persuade her. "My lady, it's so cold here. If you stay any longer, you'll freeze."
Wen Leyan paid no heed. She remembered that Wen Yunmian had encountered the emperor here in her previous life.
Wen Yunmian's forlorn, sorrowful appearance had stirred the emperor's pity, and she had soon become pregnant with a prince.
Although Wen Leyan had gained his favor, the emperor remained decidedly indifferent toward her. She had to employ some tricks to make him remember her!
Nanny Hong tried to keep persuading her, but Wen Leyan cut her off. "Stop talking. I'm doing this for my future!"
The floods in Cloud City would come soon. When that happened, the emperor would surely be upset over the disaster and might stay away from the harem for another ten days or half a month. Then she would have even less chance of serving him in bed!
In her eyes, competing for favor was all that mattered. Nothing else was important.
Yet after all that time freezing in the cold, not only did the emperor fail to appear, but a palace maid rushing to her duties nearly knocked Wen Leyan into the water.
Seething, Wen Leyan turned and slapped the palace maid across the face. "Are you courting death, running so fast?"
Consort Xian happened to pass by just then and heard Wen Leyan say furiously, "Do you have any idea how precious my body is? If you knock me into the water in the dead of winter and damage my constitution that makes it so easy for me to conceive, you'll pay for it!"
Nanny Hong wanted to remind Wen Leyan to be cautious in word and deed, but Wen Leyan was too angry to care.
The palace maid tearfully begged forgiveness and only dared hurry away once Wen Leyan's anger had subsided.
Consort Xian narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Wen Leyan nearby.
A constitution that makes it easy to conceive?
Completely unaware that Consort Xian had overheard her, Wen Leyan said angrily, "Why hasn't His Majesty come yet? He was supposed to pass through here, then carry me back to Chanyang Palace. As long as I serve him this time, I'll soon be pregnant. Why has everything changed?"
Nanny Hong could only think that Wen Leyan had become obsessed. "My lady, your health matters most. Please listen to me, and let's go back first. This isn't your only chance to win His Majesty's favor. Haven't you already served him in bed?"
"What do you know? Besides winning His Majesty's favor, I must have children. I must give birth to two princes. Only then can I occupy an exalted position in the future."
The maid beside Consort Xian scoffed quietly. "Who would have thought this mere second-class attendant would have ambitions higher than the heavens? Not only does she want children, she wants two princes."
Consort Xian lowered her head and stroked her belly, a vicious glint flashing through her eyes. "She wants to conceive His Majesty's child? What a foolish fantasy."
Before leaving, she cast a meaningful glance at the palace maid Tan You, who understood at once.
Jun Chenyu had been busy with affairs of state these past few days and had not entered the harem again.
Apart from bestowing a considerable number of gifts on Wen Yunmian last time, he had not visited her again. He had not even sent anyone to ask after her.
Noble Lady Wei, on the other hand, attended him all day, enjoying still greater favor.
Since none of the consorts in the harem had received the blessing of his rain and dew, there was no question of anyone having lost favor.
With little to do, Yun Yang and Yun Fei gathered around Wen Yunmian to watch her practice calligraphy. Sometimes, Wen Yunmian draped herself in a cloak and sat in the covered corridor beneath the eaves to watch the snow.
There was a red plum tree in the Peony Pavilion. Its touch of red against the gleaming white snow made a lovely sight.
While these days passed quietly within the palace, things were lively outside.
Madam Meng had been invited to a snow-viewing banquet. After learning that her daughter had served the emperor in bed, she also received a letter from Wen Leyan.
In the letter, Wen Leyan confidently stated when she would become pregnant and that the emperor would promote her then.
She even vowed that the second prince she bore would surely be the emperor's favorite, and the Marquis's Residence would rise as the waters lifted the boat.
Although Madam Meng knew that there was not even a first prince in the palace yet, let alone a second, her daughter's strange certainty made her believe it to some degree.
She even had people spread word that her daughter was favored and would become pregnant in time.
She had expected the ladies of the noble households to shower her with flattery at this snow-viewing banquet. To her surprise, however, Old Madam Gu and First Madam Gu received the most attention.
Those two were Wen Yunmian's maternal grandmother and aunt!
They were merely women from the household of a fifth-rank official. How had they stolen the limelight from her?
The ladies surrounded Old Madam Gu, smiling as they said, "You are truly blessed, Old Madam. I hear Noble Lady Yan was promoted almost as soon as she entered the palace and was even granted a title. Her future is truly boundless."
"Indeed. Who in the palace enjoys favor like Noble Lady Yan? His Majesty treasures her in the palm of his hand."
Everyone knew that Noble Lady Yan of the Marquis of Bravery and Resolve's household was at odds with Madam Meng, and no one paid Madam Meng any attention.
Old Madam Gu took no pleasure in their flattery. She merely smiled and offered a few polite replies.
Once they reached a quiet spot, First Madam Gu asked, "Mother, aren't you happy for Mian'er?"
Old Madam Gu sighed. "Happy? Of course I am. But the palace is a place that devours people. It's good that Mian'er has gained favor there, but how many pairs of eyes must be watching her? She's only seventeen, yet Wen Fu'an could bear to send her into the palace!"
First Madam Gu sighed as well. "Don't be upset, Mother. We have neither power nor influence. The men in our family have ambitions but cannot win His Majesty's regard. Even if we wish to protect Mian'er, there's nothing we can do."
Before they finished speaking, Madam Meng found them. She sat down with a cold smile. "Oh, so here you are, Old Madam Gu. After all that flattery just now, did no one tell you that Mian'er will soon be cast into the cold palace?"
Old Madam Gu stared at her in shock. "What did you say? What has happened to Mian'er?"
Meng Chunhua had heard this from her daughter, but her daughter had spoken with such conviction that she believed it too.
She, too, was waiting for the day Wen Yunmian withered away!
That would be the moment her daughter rose upon the wind.
"I'm not sure what has happened to Mian'er either, but I can tell you in advance that entering the cold palace is her fate. You should be prepared."
Meng Chunhua rose with a coy laugh. Before leaving, she made sure to add, "Gu Fengling couldn't beat me, and your granddaughter Wen Yunmian cannot beat my Leyan either. On the day she enters the cold palace, I'll bring wine to your Gu household to celebrate."
"You!" First Madam Gu stood up in fury. She was an elegant, gentle woman who never became red-faced with anger, but Meng Chunhua's words today were simply too vicious.
Old Madam Gu caught First Madam Gu's arm. Once Meng Chunhua was far away, she hurried to her feet. "Xiangyu, don't waste words on her. Let's hurry home and see your father-in-law. Have him enter the palace and find out what is going on."
Wen Yunmian's aunt, Shu Xiangyu, quickly agreed, also committing Meng Chunhua's promise to bring wine and celebrate at their door to memory. "All right. Don't worry. We'll go home now."
The five-day deadline fell today, and Wen Yunmian received news from Xie Yunjian.
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